Engraving initials on your FP

[Torpedo]

Hello,

 

This Christmas I was presented with a pair of FPs by my wife; she paid for the engraving of my initials, but deferred actually having this done, just in case I had to return them. Well, I was satisfied with the FPs, so I brought them back for the pending job. The FPs came back with my initials nicely engraved on the cap; they were placed in alignment with the clip, and about 1 cm below its centre; if you consider the clip to be at the cap "front", the initials are at the cap "side".

 

I had specified nothing about the letters' placement, so I could not fairly say anything about it, and did not; I was under the impression these engravings are more usually put on the pen's body, not the cap (which was why I did not mention it, I assumed the letters would be engraved on the body). I find the cap is a little too "busy" now, somewhat unbalanced. Not that I hate it, but neither do I like it.

 

I guess it may be a matter of personal preference or taste. What do you think? How do you like your engravings?

 

(Edited to add that I had not any special inclination before to have engravings done - I did it in this case because it was part of the present, but maybe I will do it again)

Edited January 17, 2010 by Torpedo

[Yuki Onitsura]

I've never had any of my pens engraved but if I did, I'd probably get the engraving done on the cap band or cap side if the band is too thin.

 

Yuki

[Aysedasi]

I've never had a pen engraved although I've toyed with it over a pen given to me as a gift recently. I think I'd prefer the personalisation on the barrel......

Edited January 17, 2010 by Aysedasi

[Shangas]

I would NEVER get a pen engraved. If I did, it would be my initials, and done in a tasteful roundhand in a spot specifically placed for engraving.

[JMX]

It would never occur to me to do that.

 

 

 

 

Quick anecdote: My girlfriend got a nice Lamy ball pen from her boss as a Christmas present last year, but it was engraved with her first name - spelt wrong (boss got cheap and let some workshop people do it in-house, not in the pen shop). Ruined the whole thing for her.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Rae]

I find it a little surprising that the shop just went ahead without any guidance or clarification on where you wanted the engravings. They certainly leave themselves more open to dissatisfaction that way.

[goodguy]

Nooooo why did you engraved your pens

 

I always say just like I dont buy a car and right away scratch my name on the hood I would never put my name on the pens.

Since this is a gift from the wife I assume you will never sell them but just for knowlage you reduce the value of the pen sometimes dramatically by scratching errr I mean engraving your pens.

I had few pens with engraving and I enjoyed writing with them but at the end I couldnt stand the engraving and sold them all.

Thank god today my collection is engraving free and I am happy

[kushbaby]

I haven't engraved my name on my pens, but I don't have anything against the practice (and I don't really sell my pens - if I was unsure about keeping one, I definitely wouldn't). I HAVE thought about it for one of my favorite 149s (a 1970s one with a F nib), though I probably won't.

 

I own several engraved pens (had an additional one, but gave the Parker 51 ["Ruth's 51"] to a librarian friend, who actually PREFERS engraved pens, just like she prefers used books). For all of them, it gives the pen a little more of a personality - I like it.

 

Several notables:

 

The Sheaffer OS Lifetime Balance leverfill in black used to belong to John R. Telling, and it's engraved on the barrel, a quarter turn from the lever. I call it my Telling Sheaffer, or just "the Telling" (fantastic pen).

 

I also have an incredibly cool 0512 PSF that has the Masonic square on the captop and barrel (in the designated area for engraving), and the initials "AHH" on the barrel. It also has an outstanding nib. On its own it would be a really cool pen. The fact that my great grandfather was the 33rd Degree Most Worshipful Grand Master of the Masonic Temple in Atlanta makes it the coolest pen I own by far. Photos here.

 

The recently acquired Pelikan 100 tortoise from 1935 (with the red cap) belonged to one Heinrich Heyne. It is engraved in all capital letters on the cap, a quarter turn from the clip (the clip is below the name when reading it). I *really* like this engraving for some reason. This will be referred to as "Heinrich's tortoise."

 

I actually really enjoy finding old pens that are engraved. It adds to the sense of history for me (I wonder who Heinrich was, and what he was doing in 1935, I wonder what John Telling's middle name was, etc.). But I also like really old books with writing in them, too.

[buffalowings]

Nooooo why did you engraved your pens

 

I always say just like I dont buy a car and right away scratch my name on the hood I would never put my name on the pens.

Since this is a gift from the wife I assume you will never sell them but just for knowlage you reduce the value of the pen sometimes dramatically by scratching errr I mean engraving your pens.

I had few pens with engraving and I enjoyed writing with them but at the end I couldnt stand the engraving and sold them all.

Thank god today my collection is engraving free and I am happy

 

 

I wouldn't etch my name with a key on my car, I etch "the moon rulz #1"

quote from ATHF

Edited January 18, 2010 by buffalowings

[MidnightBlue]

I ONLY like the name of the company style of pen and the year

Thanks

[ethernautrix]

I've had a couple of pens engraved, and it was always on the cap. Here's my Mb StarWalker.

 

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3618/3332044626_a9a2d28517.jpg

 

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3564/3358573827_7dc536cd89.jpg

[Torpedo]

Hello again,

 

Interesting replies so far. It would seem engraving is not much popular. As mentioned, I did it in this case because the service was part of the gift; I am not sure I would do it again.

 

Regarding the engraving placement issue. The pens were acquired at a department store, at the Pen/Fountain pen section, where the major brands can be found. I went there, chose the letters and the style (they had a plate with a number of samples), and then they brought the pens to the jewelry department to have the job done. I mean, it would seem like they do this often, and I assumed they would do it right. And possibly, they did; as ethernautrix has show, the place they put the letters is not unknown. Maybe it is just me.

[OcalaFlGuy]

I usually engrave mine straight down the barrel.

 

Plenty of room for me to get my pocket knife blade in there and carve a nice straight line.

 

Bruce in Ocala, FL